Staff Writer
Wouldn't it be nice if there was something you could do to double your weight loss efforts?
No. It's simply your keyboard. Keeping a food diary -- recording what you eat throughout the day -- can double a person's weight loss efforts, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research. 
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:18:00 AM - 
said...
I totally agree with this. For over a year I wrote down everything I ate and lost over 100 lbs. Since then, I have been trying to maintain that loss. Somewhere along the line, I quit recording in my journal and have been having a tough time. I guess it's time to dig out that journal again and start writing it all down again.
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 5:22:00 AM - 
ahmad said...
i ate cheese sand with nescafe 2 candes , proteine scoop , 2 proteine scoop 2 keloogs bars of 90 calories each 1 nescafe
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 7:29:00 AM - Nurit said...
Bravo. As a personal trainer and the owner of a women's fitness club, one of the most difficult things to do was to get women to write down what they ate. Somehow, if they didn't write it down, they didn't eat it. Not so. Once they wrote things down, they saw how much they were eating and it really helped them change some difficult behaviors. Thanks for bringing it up!
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:58:00 AM - SerenRose said...
I have tried keeping food journels... it gets very difficult however when you eat out... which we do alot. It's hard to figure portion sizes and know exactly what's in the food. Plus finding some foods in a database or manually putting in all the data from packages takes a long time. It's not really out of laziness I stop doing it... rather time involved. I go back to it when I can... and when I do, I do notice a difference in what I eat. You do feel more accountable and it also makes you aware of how many extra calories you may have drank, or just munched here & there that you would normally forget about counting in your daily total. I think I will restart again today!
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:12:00 AM - frustrach said...
I completely agree with the findings. Before I started keeping track of my eating habits I couldn't lose a pound. And after that I lost 20 pounds in 1 year...
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:39:00 AM - Michelle said...
IT works!!! I use the weight watcher tracker and if I write it down then I hold myself accountable for it. If I don't write it down I either forget or make some type of excuse for it mentally..... WRITE IT DOWN IT WORKS!!!!!
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:57:00 AM - said...
This is an idea that has been around for awhile, but now we have research that shows that it WORKS!!! I will definitely be putting this idea into action. Thanks for the wonderful ideas and articles I receive on this website. Much appreciated.
Mary Ann from St. Cloud, MN
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 10:34:00 AM - said...
Does anyone have an easy method? Is there a website or do people carry notebooks in their purses. I've tried this several times and can't make it stick. Any stick to it tricks would be helpful.
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 11:12:00 AM - said...
I used and online website to record what I ate and found that recording everything I ate really helped. If there was something I wanted to eat but knew I shouldn't, I thought about having to record it in the food journal and decided..."I really don't need that!!".
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 11:50:00 AM - said...
The last post (1200) says it fairly well. If I have to write everything down, it just plain easier not to eat. Writing everything down is such a hassle.
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 11:53:00 AM - said...
I set up an excel spreadsheet and recorded protien, carbs, and fat, if I'm busy I just jot in what I ate. I put a shortcut to it on my desktop along with a link to a calorie counter and a nutrition website.
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 12:52:00 PM - said...
Just the other day, I wrote down my food intake and fiber to get an idea of how many calories I've been eating. I was amazed how it adds up so quickly. I will begin to use this method along with my regular exercise to boost my weight loss! Thanks for the article.
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 1:46:00 PM - said...
Yes I totally agree, I own a ice cream parlour, and the girls and I have to write what we ate down,or else! We have really maintianed over eating.Having a treat is great, but indulging is a bad habit. Write it down girls, it works!
Comment: Thursday, July 10, 2008 5:32:00 PM - said...
Yes indeed- keeping a journal does work. I carry a small notebook around in my purse to write down everything I eat. I started keeping a journal in September of '07 and have lost 40 lbs to date. Before that I was struggling to lose any weight! So it is definitely worth a shot to try keeping a journal to see how it works for you.
Comment: Friday, July 11, 2008 1:01:00 AM - said...
If you're aren't exercising, too, calorie counting is just a math exercise! I lost 50 lbs over two years and kept it off. I keep a spreadsheet with columns for weight goal/wieght actual/ what I ate for bkfst/am snack/lunch/pm snack/dinner/dessert/ how many glasses of water and alcohol AND Exercise Goal/Exercise Actual. Learning how many calories something really is will astonish you and you will make better choices.
Comment: Friday, July 11, 2008 5:14:00 AM - ahmad said...
how can u help me to loose 5 KGs in minimum time ?
Comment: Friday, July 11, 2008 7:07:00 AM - said...
Yeah i like totally agree with writing down what you eat. I have been doing so for a while now and it has helped me a lot. See when i even think about eating something extra I go wait a minute I would have to write that down then i get my note book out and I see what I already have eaten for that day and I'm like ok i don't need to eat this.
So i would say that keeping track of what you eat really really helps you loose weight.
Comment: Saturday, July 12, 2008 12:58:00 AM - said...
Agreed with every comment here.
To "enjoy" writing in my journals, I started by pretty, cute little "books" that are about 3" tall that you get at specialty stores, on vacation, gift shops, etc. It fits in my purse and is a reminder every time I "reach in" to buy lunch (salad!). I include everything the poster above mentioned, and tally the totals at day's end, including P.A. (Physical Activity, as the nutritionist I know calls it).
Thanks for reminding me to get back on track!
Comment: Saturday, July 12, 2008 3:32:00 AM - chelsie said...
i've kept a food and exercise diary on & off for the last 3 years. i'm abit of a perfectionist so every time i screw up in any way, i tear that page out of the diary & begin again the next week. now i'm considering being easier on myself & having a cheat day once a week so that i don't feel so guilty if i indulge once a week. if you aim too high it becomes a burden but without it i feel out of control
Comment: Saturday, July 12, 2008 9:54:00 AM - Vanessa said...
Keeping a journal of what you eat and a good excerise regiment helped me to lose 30 pounds last year and I'm still keeping it off.
Comment: Saturday, July 12, 2008 7:14:00 PM - TCramer said...
I absolutely agree. Another benefit from using one of the online journals is the nutrition information - to make sure you are getting what you need and minimizing what you don't.
Comment: Saturday, July 12, 2008 9:44:00 PM - said...
I have been recording my food consumption for the past two years. Apparently, it doesn't really help. I just cannot control my appetite and diet. I enjoy eating so much and seem to be motivated to eat more as I thought that I will burn it off by exercising after reaching home at night. I don't have much discipline and always continue to eat even when I am feeling full. Am I abnormal? What should I do? Will the food I consume today be burned if I exercise on the same night? I really need help. Sigh..
Comment: Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:14:00 PM - said...
I could not loose weight no matter what I did a friend suggested I write everything I ate down and what kind of mood I was in when i ate. I thought it was crazy but started writing down everything i put in my mouth 6 years and over the first 2 years lost 79 lbs every time i stop I start gaining again so to this day i write everything down it works and keeps me honest.
Comment: Sunday, July 13, 2008 9:22:00 PM - said...
Because of this article, I have started a blog on my My Space page, and will be blogging daily on what I eat, my water and my exercise....can't wait!!! I've always heard that journaling everything works, but now that I"m putting it out there for the world to see, I hope that it will really work for me!!!
Comment: Tuesday, July 15, 2008 4:36:00 PM - said...
This is true I lost a couple of pounds as wel by writing down what a eat! I lost more than 8kg
Comment: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:34:00 AM - said...
I kept an informal journal a couple years ago when I wanted to lose 10-15lbs for a special event. It worked! But don't worry about the exact size of the portion, quess-timate, but be honest. And I didn't even consider writing amt. of calories! Too much time and work! I just jotted down what and when. Looked it over daily, scrapped it at end of ea. week and vowed to do even better next wk. I lost more wt. than I thought I would!
Comment: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:09:00 PM - said...
Yes it works to write down what you eat each day. You bite you write it!!
Comment: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 11:47:00 PM - said...
I would love to know how anonymous from 7/10 was able to put a shortcut on her desktop along with a link to a calorie counter and a nutrition website to help her count her calories, etc. That is a great idea!
Comment: Friday, August 08, 2008 2:31:00 AM - Andy Maize said...
I will exercise everyday every 5 hours. START FROM NOW :p
Comment: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:27:00 AM - said...
To Anonymous:
Perhaps you could get one of those small tape recorders that you put on a key ring so that it is always with you. That way, you can record everything that you eat during the day and, when you get home, you can transcribe it to a book or to your computer. I hope this works for you.
Comment: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 3:58:00 PM - said...
i think the key is knowing how many calories are in what.i have this thing with numbers, if i see them i just remember. for the past year or so i looked at every box i ate from and remembered how many cals. are in what.now i don't need to look, i just know what a portion looks like and roughly how many cals. are in what.then mentally i can just add it up in my head right after I'm done eating it. like this morning i had a whole wheat English muffin,130 cals 2 tablespoon of peanut butter 180 and low sugar jam 30 cals.so i know for breakfast i had about 350 cals.it takes a bit of time but once you do it for a while you'll never have to keep a journal.if you don't know whats in something like at a restaurant when you get home you can justlook up the nutrition facts on line!
Comment: Thursday, August 21, 2008 3:08:00 AM - said...
100% Agreement: Being an engineer by education I have been trying to keep a journal and found after many modifications & improvements to designing a Weight & Health Journal the latest efforts has produced a daily and weekly journal that documents qty. and foods eaten as well as food groups, water, k-Cals, Fats, etc. I have found that % of cals from fats is a key to loosing weight: I target in on a max for the day of 21% of total calories from fat. I have been able to loose 1.75 lbs per week or .25 lbs per day....So my TARGET WEIGHT decreases by -0.25 lbs per day. I record my weight every day and put it next to my TARGET WEIGHT. This gives me a daily check on my progress and what I need to do for the current day. I can also see if I am getting all my FOOD GROUPS to keep things in a healthy balance.
My TARGET WEIGHT is 168 lbs and is based on getting my BMI below
25. Say a BMI of 24.9 gets me to 168 lb for my height...so loosing 1.75 lbs per week (-0.25 lbs/day) is the stairway I an trying to go down to get to my TARGET WEIGHT.
In addition to recording the intake information I also have a place on my journal for a few notes to put down my THOUGHTS:,... GOALS:,... and AFTERTHOUGHTS:.....This gives me a chance to think and evaluate what and how much I've eaten as well as what I need to eat and drink to get a balanced food group total.
Anyway, I've lost 18 lbs over the last 10 weeks and feel great!
RN...
Comment: Thursday, August 21, 2008 7:58:00 AM - said...
please i want to lost 8 kg in 1 months what should i do?help me
Comment: Monday, August 25, 2008 2:57:00 AM - said...
which kind of food that i can eat daily.help me to loose my weight wthin 1 month approximate 6 kg
Comment: Monday, August 25, 2008 11:28:00 PM - said...
I tried journaling and so far have lost 18.5 lbs since July first. I was a hassle at first but I stayed on track. When I looked at what I was eating and started weighing myself every week it made a tremedous difference. I never dreamed I could be so sucessful at this. I found out some other things too. I am a emotional eater. I feel it will now be a breeze to lose the additional 40lbs. Do journal it makes all the world of difference.
Comment: Thursday, August 28, 2008 2:23:00 PM - said...
When I started trying to lose weight, I was 5'9" and weighed 287 pounds, a size 24. It took me about 18 months to drop to 170 pounds the healthy way. Writing down what you eat really helps! I bought a regular notebook and tracked down my exercise as well. That way, there's NO excuses! :)
Comment: Saturday, August 30, 2008 2:26:00 PM - said...
I am a 57 year old female, I have lost 28 pounds in a year. I lost this weight by counting carbs and watching the fat I eat. I still feel like I should have lost more. I am a fairly new type 2 diabetic. I don't eat sugar. I quit smoking and I know I should feel better, but I feel like I should have lost more weight in the past year. but ole well I at least took that much off slowly. I am trying to walk a mile 3 times a week but it is hard since I have a very bad back, but I will keep trying. I know I should feel lucky.
Comment: Monday, September 01, 2008 6:04:00 AM - Manorama bakshi said...
Hi, I got married in 1995 at that time i was 54 KG .Since then I am continuously gaining on weight.Today I am 105 Kg.I don'y know how I reached here.Now I am Diagonosied with Thyroid and sugar.My TSH is 11 and my Fasting sugar is 140 and pp195.I am taking thyronorm50mg and Gloformin500mg in mor and 500mg in eve.I am stagnant at105 kg I dont know why after taling the medicien for 2months why I am not loosing weight
Comment: Monday, September 01, 2008 9:50:00 AM - said...
I have just started writing down everthing that I eat. I am honest about EVERYTHING. You only cheat you by not documenting everything. I purchased a small composistion book that fits in my pocket. I decorated it with beautiful paper and I enjoy pulling it out and journaling in it as well as writing everything that I eat. And, what I didn't eat. EX: Icecream cake at work today. I was soo good and did not eat any. YEAA 4 ME.
Comment: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 7:07:00 PM - Weight Loss said...
Weight loss industry will focus on the way people should feel while doing it, in order to achieve better results and stay healthy all the time. Being healthy and thin is not a dream, it should be something, that is a reasonable and easy to be done.
The modern obsession with a thin body is another problem that women face now a days. Women try everything in order to get this extra pounds off, things like pills, patches, diet, hunger, exercises and all kind of weight loss products.
Comment: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 8:06:00 AM - said...
I use a very simple hard cover food journal call "Dieter's diary" by Corinne Netzer (I buy it at Barnes and Noble). I just leave it at home--write down what I ate AM and catch up with the day at night. It has calorie counts in the back, which I thought would not be enough info, but it is. I love my computer but I have found the by hand method to be faster. It does really work! I've been journaling for half a year.
Comment: Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:17:00 PM - said...
I wrote to e-diets a couple of days ago with my problems, i havn't anything back. to summerize what i wrote; i have hypo thyroid problems, i have cut back on my amount of and what i eat, i at one time even totally cut my cokes to drink and started drinking water
a lot and walked 4 mile a day, i did this for 3 months. i ate salads, vegetables and more chicken less red meat starchy foods and l never lost a single pound i really don't know what to do. I have tried exercising agian but my living room is very small i can't even stretch out on the floor. i doo some exercies but not regularly. My job does keep me moving a lot i have to load my school bus with supplies twice a week, I constantly left move and stretch putting up supplies i do a lot of walking from classroom to classroom, i walk up and down a flight of stairs about(20-25 steps) anyhow what else can i do?
Comment: Wednesday, October 01, 2008 8:43:00 PM - said...
The best way to really get those calories dropping off like flys is lessen the anmount of calories you eat by, let's assume, one quarter of what you are eating everyday. Now, increase the amount of caloric outpu (like cardio workouts) by one quarter! Forexample, if you eat 3000 calories a day, drop that to 2250, and if you burn daily about 500 calories, increase it to 625 calories. The diffrence? 875 calories. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose one pound. You doi the math!
Marques Garcia, personal trainer
Comment: Saturday, October 04, 2008 12:49:00 PM - said...
I would love to know how many carbs is recommended for a normal diet. I am currently eating low fat and high fiber but I would like t know the recommended amount of carbs per day and then I will try to half that as well. Can someone help me with this?
Comment: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 11:32:00 PM - said...
Im really worried that I might be becoming too obssesive about my weight loss, do you think that writing it down would make me even more OCD?
Comment: Sunday, October 19, 2008 3:00:00 AM - said...
My specialist told me this a year ago and I lost 216 pounds. I did weigh 378 but now I weigh 162 pounds. I am trying to make it to 140. Still working my way up.
Comment: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 8:00:00 AM - said...
I agree that if you do keep a journal of what you eat it will help lose weight. I have been keeping a journal of how much and what I eat a day and I have lost almost 25 lbs in 7 months. I don't use a program that is already put together. I just went into word pad and started with Day 1 and the date. I also record my weight every morning after I use the bathroom before I eat or drink anything. I have had my fair share of up and down weight through out this time. I have 15 more pounds to go to get to my goal weight. Also exercise regularly 5-6 days a week.
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